Convertible container



Aug. 13, 1963 R. E. FRANK 3,100,576

CONVERTIBLE CONTAINER Filed Aug. 16, 1962 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,100,576 CONVERTIBLE CONTAINER Robert E. Frank, 1360 Dennis Place, Des Plaines, Ill. Filed Aug. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 217,411 4 Claims. (Cl. 215-1) This invention relates to the art of molded plastic containers, and specifically to a container first in the form of a bottle and subsequently usable as a bucket or pail.

-As is well known, it is common practice to supply many liquids in molded plastic bottles. In particular, it is quite common practice to supply household bleach in bottles of one quart, one half-gallon, one gallon, and sometimes even larger sizes. The bottles are rather nice, but have rather limited use after they have been emptied.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a convertible container structure in order more effectively to use such bottles once they have been emptied of their initial contents.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide such a molded or blown plastic bottle which is readily convertible into the form of a bucket or pail.

Molded or blown plastic bottles, commonly of polyethylene, such as are now used for household bleach and the like commonly have a handle adjacent the neck. Such handles are convenient for carrying, and are not too bad for support of the bottle during pouring once the bottle has been largely depleted of its contents. However, when the bottle is full, or nearly so, pouring of the liquid contents therefrom is a rather difficult two-handed job.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide such a plastic bottle with a bail in convenient location for an aid in pouring, particularly when a bottle is substantially full.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a bottle of the foregoing character having a bail thereon, which bail is conveniently positioned on a pail or bucket resulting from cutting off the top of the bottle after depletion of the contents thereof, having a predetermined location.

Molded plastic containers, such as buckets or pails, commonly have a rounded upper edge, frequently formed by rolling under the lip of the container. This is excellent for reinforcement of the otherwise flexible sidewall, but it presents difiiculties in pouring, since a rounded lip tends to form a wide pour which cannot readily be controlled. Furthermore, cutting off of the pouring operation at a precise time is difiicult.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved plastic container in the form of a bucket or a pail having a sharp upper edge facilitating pouring.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings'wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrougih;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modification of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the bottle as converted into a bucket or pail; and

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the resulting bucket or pail.

Referring now in greater particularity to the drawings, and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, there will be seen a molded or blown bottle identified generally by the numeral 10. For the sake of discussion, .thebottle may be considered to be of the one gallon size, and molded of polyethylene or other suitable plastic material. The bottle comprises a cylindrical sidewall 12 rising from a somewhat raised 3,100,576 Patented Aug. 13, 1963 Ice bottom 14. The top portions of the sidewall taper in at 16 in a generally conical shape to the bottle neck 18 threaded at 20 for receipt of a removable threaded cap 22. A handle 24 is provided adjacent the side of the neck 18, and the converging or tapered conical portion 16.

A pair of enlargements or bosses 26 is provided at diametrically opposite positions on the sidewall 12 some. what above the longitudinal median (i.e., slightly above the distance from bottom to top). Integral studs or projections 28 extend radially out therefrom, and preferably are provided with enlargements 30.

A bail 32 is provided in the form of a plastic strap having apertures adjacent the opposite ends thereof. The apertures are of small enough diameter to snap over the enlargements B0 and rather snugly to engage the studs 28. As will be appreciated, this is readily done, since the polyethylene plastic of the strap-like bail 82 and of the studs 28 and enlargements 30 is sufiicient to allow momentary deformation.

At the top of the sidewall 12, there is provided a dircumferential annular head 33 comprising a top bead. Immediately therebelow is a lower circumferential bead 3-4 parallel to the head 33. As will be observed, the enlargements or bosses 26 are spaced only slightly below the lower bead 34. Once the initial contents of the bottle have been depleted, the two beads 33 and 34 act as.a guide for a razor blade or a sharp knife to sever the top or upper portion 38 (see FIG. 4) from the bottle 10, leaving a lower portion 36 in the form of a bucket or a pail. As will be apparent particularly in FIG. 5, the points of attachment at bosses 26 on the pail 36 leave the bail 32 relatively high on the pail, in a convenient or more or less conventional carrying position for a bail on a pail. On the other hand, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the pivotal attachment points of the bail to the bottle are only slightly above the center of the gravity, when the bottle is very nearly full, thereby greatly facilitating pouring from the bottle with the bail held in one hand, and the bottom of the bottle tipped up with the other hand.

A modification of the invention is shown in FIG. 3, wherein similar parts are identified by the use of similar numerals with the addition of the sufiix a. in this instance, the bosses 26a are provided with apertures 42, preferably in the form of sockets which are larger interiorly of the bosses than at the surface thereof. The bail 32a is in the form of a wire with inturned ends or prongs 44 preferably enlarged at the inner ends to form a ball and socket in connection with the bosses 26a. However, it is not essential that the ends be so enlarged, since the wire bail 32a can have initial tension preset thereon radially inwardly of the bottle, whereby the ends of the bail will remain in the apertures in the bosses.

It now will be seen that I have disclosed a plastic container initially in the form of a bottle similar in use to those now on the market for the selling of household bleach, and other caustic liquids and chemicals. The bottle need not remain in its initial form, but is intended to be cut off along an area well demarcated by the two vertically spaced peripheral beads 33 and '34.. The lower of these beads subsequently forms a reinforcement for the pail formed by cutting off the top of the bottle, and it further will be appreciated that the cut edge provides a sharp upper edge greatly facilitating pouring of liquids from the resulting pail or bucket. The bail 32 is attached at an optimum location both to the bottle and to the pail without the necessity of repositioning the bail when the container is converted from a bottle .to a pail or bucket.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described with one modification, other modifications will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art and will be understood as forming a part of the present invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

This invention is claimed as follows:

|1. A convertible container of readily cuttable plastic material initially in the form of a bottle and comprising a bottom, sidewalls extending circumferentially up from said bottom and terminating in an inwardly tapering, converging upper portion, circumferential ribs means on said side walls immediately beneath said tapering upper portion serving as a cutting guide for cutting said sidewalls, and also as reinforcement means for said sidewalls, a bail, and means for pivotally attaching said bail to said sidewalls immediately below and closely adjacent said rib means, said bail attaching means being closely adjacent to and only a little above the longitudinal center of the container.

2. A convertible container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for attaching the bail to the sidewalls comprises a pair of diametrically spaced radially outward protuberances having enlargements on the ends thereof, and apertures in said bail positioned over said protuberances.

3. A convertible container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for attaching the'bail to the sidewalls comprises means providing sockets at diametrically spaced positions on the sidewalls and end portions on said bail received in said sockets.

4. A convertible container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the nib means comprises a pair of vertically spaced, radially outwardly extending parallel circumferential ribs.

Hornibrook Aug. 1, 1939 Glassco July 10, 1962 

1. A CONVERTIBLE CONTAINER OF READILY CUTTABLE PLASTIC MATERIAL INITIALLY IN THE FORM OF A BOTTLE AND COMPRISING A BOTTOM, SIDEWALLS EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY UP FROM SAID BOTTOM AND TERMINATING IN AN INWARDLY TAPERING, CONVERGING UPPER PORTION, CIRCUMFERENTIAL RIBS MEANS ON SAID SIDE WALLS IMMEDIATELY BENEATH SAID TAPERING UPPER PORTION SERVING AS A CUTTING GUIDE FOR CUTTING SAID SIDEWALLS, AND ALSO AS REINFORCEMENT MEANS FOR SAID SIDEWALLS, A BAIL, AND MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY ATTACHING SAID BAIL TO SAID SIDEWALLS IMMEDIATELY BELOW AND CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID RIB MEANS, SAID BAIL ATTACHING MEANS BEING CLOSELY ADJACENT TO AND ONLY A LITTLE ABOVE THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER OF THE CONTAINER. 